The Forge House: Owners, Proprietor & Managers, Part VII

The Garmon & CrosbyYears: 1888-1895

In February 1898, Arthur H. and Julia Springsteen moved to West Carthage where Springsteen operated a grocery store and was elected village treasurer, but they soon returned to Orwell in 1903.

Julia Springsteen contracted tuberculosis and died in February 1905.

Arthur soon remarried and this marriage produced a daughter, Julia, in 1907, and a son, Savillian, in 1909.

But his son and second wife both died within a week of each other in February 1912.

Springsteen later married widow Mary Monihen (Moniken?, Monahan?) who had a daughter.

The Springsteens moved to Port Royal, Pennsylvania and Arthur would return periodically to visit remaining family and inlaws.

His Port Royal residence would also be home to aged Orwell relatives.

He remained in the hotel business in his new locale and lived his remaining days at that location.

With the new railroad bringing in the largest traffic yet seen to the Fulton Chain, Garmon and Crosby hired an experienced couple for the 1893 season: Alexander (“Sam”) M. and wife Nellie Ambrose (N. A. Briggs). Alexander was born February 14, 1837 in Sauquoit, enlisted during the Civil War in 117th NY regiment, was wounded, recovered and entered the hotel business in 1866 in Cassville.

Nellie was born May 31, 1849 in Clayville and married Alexander in 1868.

The couple conducted the Mansion House in Herkimer and a summer hotel, the West End, in Clayton.

After this stint, they conducted hotels at Yorkville, Whitesboro and Mohawk before signing a lease in the spring of 1893 for the Forge House. Nellie was signatory for the couple’s contracts with hotel owners.

Quite often, N. A. Briggs would be referred to in the newspapers with male pronouns.

In June 1893, lightning struck the Forge House, tearing away the roof wall to the basement and destroying the barroom and laundry.

The Ogdensburg Advance reported that it tore the shoes of the laundry woman, but did not seriously hurt her.

The hotel advertised the comfort of its steam heat.

The relics of Herreshoff’s forge were now placed close to the hotel as a tourist attraction.

The Utica Daily Press noted that the village now comprised twenty families “industrious and thrifty.”

The “Old Forge” boasted its first red letter day when former President Benjamin Harrison, his extended family and entourage rented Dodd’s Camp on First Lake for the summer.

Two weeks after an extensively covered arrival, Nellie raised a huge (18 x 24 feet) flag on July 27, 1895.

For the occasion, the normally private Mr. Harrison gave a lengthy, patriotic speech with historical and forest metaphors while the gathered crowd applauded spiritedly in the rain.

The summer’s press coverage of Harrison’s camp visitors helped advertise the Forge House to the nation.

Victor Adams, a major civic and business leader, and former Harrison political appointee, from Little Falls provided Harrison with transportation on the lakes in his launch.

His Little Falls gun squad fired salutes during the flag raising ceremonies.

Victor Adams purchased a camp on Fourth Lake but envisioned a larger investment opportunity.

To be continued…